Essential Batman reading?

[blue_rogue]

Here's what I own:

Year One
The Dark Knight Returns
The Long Halloween
Hush
The Killing Joke
The first several issues of Superman/Batman

Plan on getting:

Dark Victory
Haunted Knight
Catwoman: When in Rome

Anything else I must read?

[ink]

bruce wayne : fugitive
knightfall
knightsquest
knightsend

[NewGoblin23]

Batman Vampire. Its a great "What If?" type story

[Josh-A-Tron]

Here's what I own:

Year One
The Dark Knight Returns
The Long Halloween
Hush
The Killing Joke
The first several issues of Superman/Batman

Plan on getting:

Dark Victory
Haunted Knight
Catwoman: When in Rome

Anything else I must read?

Batman: Tales of the Demon
Batman: Cult
Batman: Venom
Batman: Seduction of the Gun
Batman : Death in the Family
Are all pretty good

[Josh-A-Tron]

Batman Vampire. Its a great "What If?" type story

I think you mean
Batman Red Rain
Batman Blood Storm and
Batman Crimson Mist

Those are all illustrated by Kelly Jones.

[NewGoblin23]

I think you mean
Batman Red Rain
Batman Blood Storm and
Batman Crimson Mist

Those are all illustrated by Kelly Jones.

In the TPB its just called Vampire, but yeah that is what im referring to.

[karamazov80]

Year Two and the companion book "Fear the Reaper" are decent yarns, and have fantastic Alan Davis art (unfortunately, some of the Year 2 stuff is also done by Todd McFarlane :monkey4 ).

You also can't go wrong with the Denny O'Neal/Neal Adams stuff that are available in some TPB compilations such as Tales of the Demon.

There's a JLA TPB that focuses on Batman called "Tower of Babel" that is really interesting, exploring the idea that Batman is so paranoid that he keeps files on how to beat all of his fellow teammates, and an enemy steals those files--hijinks ensue.

[Darth_IMPoor]

The Bane 1-shot would be good if you plan on getting all that Knightfall business, which would be recommended.

I personally love the JLA arc "Tower of Babel"/Secret Files #3

Find a re-print of Detective 27

Year 3 if you are a fan of Robins Drake and Grayson


And I second 90% of what's already been said.

[ZombieRepublican]

Im gonna say Batman Year 100. i havent read it but i love the art style.
http://earbuds.popdose.com/jack/howbad_bat_01.jpg

ive only got the killing joke im gonna get Year One and The Dark Knight Return maybe some Adam Hughes catwoman stuff.

can anyone recommend some more batman with awesome art style?

[Agent23]

Just got done reading Hush, now I'm reading All-Star Batman & Robin (Frank Miller and Jim Lee).

Batman & Spawn is also one of my faves (just because I love both characters) by Frank Miller & Todd McFarlane.

[SnakeDoctor]

Here's what I own:

Year One
The Dark Knight Returns
The Long Halloween
Hush
The Killing Joke
The first several issues of Superman/Batman

Plan on getting:

Dark Victory
Haunted Knight
Catwoman: When in Rome

Anything else I must read?

Just started reading some Batman myself over the last several months. I buy things when I find them at a local Half-Price Books.

All you've listed are good ... Sale's trilogy, TDKR, Year One, and Hush are great. Brian Azzarello's "Joker" is my favorite Joker story. I liked it a lot better than TKJ. "Year 100" is very good. "Batman: Nine Lives" is a really good Elseworld (noir, Grayson is a Private Detective sorting out the murder of the Cat-Woman ... good reimagining of the Batman Universe). "Arkham Asylum" and "Arkham Reborn" are great. I liked "All Star Batman & Robin" quite a bit, too. "Knightfall" is good. "Face the Face" (I like almost anything centered around Two Face).

I have a bunch of others I haven't read yet. Bruce Wayne Fugitive. The Return of Bruce Wayne. Batman & Son. Bruce Wayne the Road Home. Cataclysm. City of Crime. Contagion. Death and the Maidens. Detective. Ego. Faces. Heart of Hush. Legacy. Life After Death. Spawn. Streets of Gotham (Heart of Hush, Leviathan). Time and the Batman. War Games. War Drums. Year Two.

SnakeDoc

[karamazov80]

can anyone recommend some more batman with awesome art style?
Like I posted before, I would check out the Neal Adams stuff, Alan Davis's brief run on Detective comics and his run on Batman and the Outsiders:

http://comicbookdb.com/graphics/comic_graphics/1/211/54068_20070916195154_large.jpg

http://www.untamedworlds.com/store/images/26_NB875.jpg

and Mike Zeck's Legends of the Dark Knight run:

http://d1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net/iss/400w/413/104131/527961.jpg

[Cocoboloboy]

Hush and The Long Halloween are two of my favorites. I'll have to check out The Killing Joke. I heard that was really good.

[karamazov80]

Killing Joke blows Hush and Long Halloween out of the water, IMO, even though it is a simple one-shot. One of the most memorable and iconic Batman stories ever. And referring to art again, you could do worse than Brian Bolland.

[Johnny Utah]

Azzarello's Joker
A Death in the Family
Batman RIP
War on Crime
Justice


My essential choice is Knightfall.

[SnakeDoctor]

I liked TLH and Hush a LOT better than TKJ.

TKJ was too simplistic, and I don't care for the "washed up comedian" origin story for the Joker. It isn't bad, but is just isn't as iconic as it was billed. It has been overshadowed by better stories.

TLH is, to my mind, among the closest to the feel of Batman Begins and Dark Knight ... mobsters running Gotham. Hush is just a cool story with a lot of villains and some of the best art in any Batman book.

SnakeDoc

[SnakeDoctor]

Azzarello's Joker
A Death in the Family
Batman RIP
War on Crime
Justice

My essential choice is Knightfall.

Did they do a normal-sized War on Crime, or just that gigantic book? The art is great.

JLA: Tower of Babel is a good Batman story.

SnakeDoc

[karamazov80]

TLH is, to my mind, among the closest to the feel of Batman Begins and Dark Knight ... mobsters running Gotham.
Maybe because it was a huge influence on the Nolan films, along with Year One of course. I like Long Halloween and Hush, but they feel in some way like excessively drawn out attempts to throw every recognizable Batman villain into stories with "shocking" "twist" endings. Seems to follow the general mindset DC and Marvel have nowadays where all their major "events" follow a similar formula. Good, but a bit gimmicky and filled with shocks that really aren't shocks in this day and age to me. Of course, this is all subjective, but I think Killing Joke did much more with much less, and was truly revolutionary in its time. Long Halloween and Hush had no need to go on as long as they did IMO, except for the purpose of selling more comics. Also, Alan Moore is in my humble opinion the greatest writer in comics, and this is as good as anything else he's done.

In any case, the OPs already read all of them :lol

[SnakeDoctor]

Fair enough. TKJ was certainly revolutionary ... I just think some have done it better since then. I like Miller better than Moore. Miller has an over-testosteroned style that I think works well for Batman.

SnakeDoc

[thenammagazine]

http://shop.goldenapplecomics.com/images/products/detail/batman_greatest_stories_ever_told.jpg

Gives you a little bit of everything, from Bob Kane through the 80's.

[karamazov80]

Fair enough. TKJ was certainly revolutionary ... I just think some have done it better since then. I like Miller better than Moore. Miller has an over-testosteroned style that I think works well for Batman.

SnakeDoc
Year One might be my favorite Batman story of all, though Miller's more recent stuff (Dark Knight Strikes Again, All Star Batman and Robin) has tainted my view of the Dark Knight Returns. Can't say why exactly, but I guess he took that style and interpretation of Batman to the logical extreme and made me question if the original stuff was really as awesome as it seemed when I was first exposed to it.

[SAB]

Eveyone else hated it but I loved The Dark Knight Strikes Again.
- garish fluro art, Batman as pop culture, virtual reality president, the thing was just bonkers :D

Happy they collected both Returns and Strikes Again into one enormous Absolute edition.

Looks great on the shelf next to Absolute V, Watchmen, Sandman I-IV (and more than a few other Absolutes....)

[SnakeDoctor]

I haven't read DK2 yet. I liked ASB&R, though.

SnakeDOc

[naeem1979]

You should check out legends of the dark knight: Prey
Also Arkham Asylum a serious house on serious earth

[filip629]

Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers run on Detective Comics in the mid 70's was a great read.

[EVILFACE]

Tec 27 > *

[Rackemup]

http://shop.goldenapplecomics.com/images/products/detail/batman_greatest_stories_ever_told.jpg

Gives you a little bit of everything, from Bob Kane through the 80's.

I was going to recommend that book as well. There are some rally great stories in there. I also would recommend (excluding some already said)

Batman A Death In the Family
Batman No 251
Batman Haunted Knight
The Joker: Devils Advocate
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman Ledgends of The Dark Knight: Faces
Batman No 397 The Triumph Of Two Face
Detective Comics No 604-607 The Mud Pack

[MANDO]

Year One is by far one of my favorites. Miller wrote a great batman in the '80s. And of course the Loeb/Sale Bat books (Long Halloween, etc.) that carry over that story so-to-speak.

Hush is great if you're really familiar w/ the Bat-mythos otherwise you're not going get a lot of it. That's part of what makes TKJ great is it appeals to even the most novel reader.

Speaking of Moore, though while not a Bat book, if you can get a hold of the '85 Superman annual it's a great one-shot and a must read. Bats is in it of course as well as JT Robin who winds up being the hero which was a rarity for Todd.

[Master Wayne]

I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned Gotham By Gaslight or The Man Who Laughs.
Arkham Asylum and Gothic are both pretty good as well.

Other than that, my favorites have been mentioned already. The Long Halloween and Year One are the very best, if you ask me.

[ZaCHw117]

Essentials for me are at least:
Year One
The Joker
The Killing Joke
The Long Halloween

[Grenouille]

Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers run on Detective Comics in the mid 70's was a great read.

:lecture A million times yes. It was collected in a tpb called Strange Apparitions. I'd also recommend the trade Tales of the Demon which covers some good Adams/O'Neil stuff with Ra's al Ghul.

I'd even recommend No Man's Land. I know it wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[Gipetto0812]

Plan on getting:

Dark Victory
Haunted Knight



definitely read those two. I read those right after Long Halloween and all 3 are in my top batman readings. An awesome set of Batman graphic novels IMO.

[sithlord13]

Year one
Dark knight returns
Batman 404-442
Inc year one night of the kgbeast death in the family and lonely place of dying

Bind justice tec 598 599 and 600

Batman annual 14 two face

Lotdk venom and shaman

The Hugo strange story on Gotham knights 6-9?

Just off the top of my head

[Lookin4Precious]

Having read all the "Classic Bat Books" I've recently been going back and older ones I missed and the newer releases.

I was disappointed with Venom. In the LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT collection, PREY and GOTHIC were the stand-outs for me (of what I've read from the series so far.

I'm currently obsessed with R.I.P. I was apprehensive because I'd heard so much crap about it, but man, it blew my socks off. Its so intelligent. So complex. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED.

[poomonk]

The Justic League story called "Tower of Babel" is a pretty good Batman story. Obviously it's centered around his interactions with the Justic League and not a solo story, but it's still damn good.

Amazon.com: JLA (Book 7): Tower of Babel (9781563897276): Mark Waid: Books

[draekus]

"Essential" really differs from person to person. But I'd say read the ones you mentioned along with:

Azzarello's "The Joker"
Batman: The Black Glove
Batman: Batman and Son
Batman RIP
Final Crisis (not a batman book but part of Morrison's run)
Batman: The return of Bruce Wayne

[thenammagazine]

"Essential" really differs from person to person. But I'd say read the ones you mentioned along with:

Azzarello's "The Joker"
Batman: The Black Glove
Batman: Batman and Son
Batman RIP
Final Crisis (not a batman book but part of Morrison's run)
Batman: The return of Bruce Wayne

:monkey4:monkey4:monkey4:monkey4:monkey4:monkey4

[poomonk]

"Essential" really differs from person to person. But I'd say read the ones you mentioned along with:

Azzarello's "The Joker"
Batman: The Black Glove
Batman: Batman and Son
Batman RIP
Final Crisis (not a batman book but part of Morrison's run)
Batman: The return of Bruce Wayne

I can't say I was big fan of the Morrison stuff (personally, I think he ruined Batman for a good long time), but the other books you mention are damn good. Nice list.

[BatFanatic]

Considering the way TDKR is shaping up...I'd highly recommend Knightquest!

If you can stomach the art through some of the issues (Breyfoggle- i'm not a fan). For me, it was a great story line, and you get to see an EXCEPTIONAL Batman costume design; one that would work well today when Bats faces the heavy artillery.

[jrice73]

My essentials:

Year One
The Long Halloween
Hush
The Dark Knight Returns
The Killing Joke
Son of the Demon
No Man's Land
Knightfall
The Cult

[CaptainAmerica]

The Killing Joke, for sure

Anyone remember "Gotham by Gaslight"? and "Master of the Future"?

[chamildav]

Some good suggestions for further reading have already been made here. A couple I would suggest that hasn't been mentioned are two very good bat family books, Robin: Year One & Batgirl: Year One. Both are very good reading for a Bat fan.

[piccolodaimaoh]

In order

Year One
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
A Death in the Family
The Killing Joke
Hush
The Dark Knight Returns

Stuff that includes Superman

For the Man who has Everything
Superman Batman Public Enemies
Superman Batman Supergirl
Superman Batman Vengeance

[DinoDB1975]

I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned Gotham By Gaslight or The Man Who Laughs.
Arkham Asylum and Gothic are both pretty good as well.

Other than that, my favorites have been mentioned already. The Long Halloween and Year One are the very best, if you ask me.

The Killing Joke, for sure

Anyone remember "Gotham by Gaslight"? and "Master of the Future"?

Besides the obvious mentions (Year One, The Killing Joke, The Dark Knight Returns), Gotham by Gaslight is a great Elseworlds story.

One of my fave Batman stories: Son of the Demon.

http://i53.tinypic.com/214k6h.jpg

[george]

Batman V Predator

[Judgepup]

My essentials:

Year One
The Long Halloween
Hush
The Dark Knight Returns
The Killing Joke
Son of the Demon
No Man's Land
Knightfall
The Cult

All phenomenal reads, most of which essentially form the basis for the characterization of Batman/BW in the Nolan films and beyond. My only addition would be Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison - unfreakinbelievable.

The Killing Joke, for sure

Anyone remember "Gotham by Gaslight"? and "Master of the Future"?

LOVED Gotham by Gaslight! One of my favorite reads, period.

[LoneWolf]

All the good ones were already mentioned.. I guess I can contribute by advising you to stay away from Batman: Digital Justice!

I bought the hardcover before when I was a newbie Bat-fan, and boy was it a waste of money. Should've read it at the library instead of owning one, it took me 1 year before someone bought it off my eBay listings - and he's a newbie Bat-fan. :slap

[haytil]

I'm a big Batman reader, and I'm especially a fan of reading it in TPBs and Hardcovers. Here are my thoughts and recommendations - feel free to ask questions, or PM me for more details.

ESSENTIAL SUGGESTIONS

-"Detective," "Death and the City," and "Private Casebook" - available in TPB (the last one in HC as well), these collect Paul Dini's run on "Detective Comics." Dini is a MASTER of the Batman comic short story (1- and 2-part stories), and is responsible for Batman: The Animated Series. You can't go wrong with these. The first two are quite hard to find, but be patient - you'll see them on Ebay once in a while.

-"Heart of Hush" - the good sequel to Hush, again written by Paul Dini. If you like Dini and you liked Hush, no reason you won't like this. Available in HC and TPB.

-Brian Azzarello's "Joker" - available in HC, featuring beautiful, stunning art (much of it painted!) by Lee Bermejo and great characterization. More Nolan-esque than most Batman books. If you like this, you can see more of Azzarello's "realistic" take on Gotham in "Batman: Broken City."

-"The Man Who Laughs" - available in TPB or HC, it's a modern telling of Batman and the Joker's first confrontation. A sequel to "Year One."

-"Gotham Central" - collected in 5 TPBs (or 4 HCs), Gotham Central focuses on the cops in Gotham. Batman's a guest star, as are his villains - but if that doesn't bother you, you'll get a pretty realistic and a very fascinating look at Gotham, told by Brubaker and Rucka, two modern-day comic writing giants. An incredible set of books, which also happen to feature the greatest Joker story ever told. Art is often reminiscent of "Year One." My favorite Batman series.

-"Prey" - featuring the modern-day telling of Batman vs Hugo Strange, this is another sequel to "Year One." Great art and a fun read. It can be hard to find - sometimes you'll see the TPB go for 30 or 40 bucks on Ebay, but be patient and you might find one for 5 bucks used at a comic store or convention (or even online).

-"Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn" and "Batman and Robin: Batman vs. Robin" - most of the modern-day Grant Morrison Batman is crap, but these two books are real exceptions. In HC or TPB, it's ____ Grayson as Batman, with a new Robin. Punchy, flashy, and fun, I think they are enjoyable as standalone, apart from the main Morrison Batman RIP storyline.

-"Streets of Gotham" - more Paul Dini goodness, but this time focusing on the new ____ Grayson as Batman. Dini's still great, though, so it's a lot of fun. HC or TPB.

-"Batman: Year 100" - The Dark Knight Returns is a sci-fi telling of the return of Batman, in the future. This is a lot like that, but different enough that it stands on its own as well. TPB.

-"Batman: Evolution" - a mix of gritty crime drama and Ra's al Ghul, with a unique color scheme. Really nice little book. TPB, should be easy to find.

-"Batman: Faces" is another neat little book, by Matt Wagner. TPB, it's still in print and shouldn't be too hard to find.

OVERRATED

-"Haunted Knight" - the weakest of the Tim Sale/Jeph Loeb trilogy. I would avoid it for now, and save your money for better books. You can always pick it up later.

-"Death in the Family" - actually, most fans hate this book. Not very well-written, its importance is in its place in history - the death of Robin.

-"Venom" and "Gothic" - they're OK, and largely unmemorable. Like others, save em for later when you've already spent your money on the better ones.

-"Bruce Wayne: Murderer" and "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" - this story was really long and drawn out and wasn't very good. Way overrated.

-"Contagion" and "Legacy" - really not so memorable or great (though Legacy is a bit better than Contagion).

-Anything by Grant Morrison in the past 5 years or so is crap (like Batman RIP, The Black Glove, etc), except what I posted above.

-"The Cult" - ugh. Avoid this one.


You mentioned looking at "Catwoman: When in Rome." While it's certainly a fun read, Batman's not in it - it's strictly a Catwoman story, and not a very essential one at that. You might be better off picking up other books first.

Others have mentioned "KnightQuest." That's the 2nd part of the "Knight" trilogy (Knightfall and KnightsEnd being the others), but it was never collected in trade, so you'll only read those books if you scour comic book shops for back issues (of which there are like 40). Funnily enough, I just finished collecting all of them last weekend (and I'm preparing to bind them into my own hardbound collection).

It's a real pity, because without KnightQuest, readers don't know how Knightfall and KnightsEnd connect - and it doesn't make sense. (Bane breaks Batman's back in Knightfall, and suddenly shows up healed and ready to fight at the beginning of KnightsEnd - doesn't make sense if you don't read the middle part, but you can't unless you have the back issues).

That being said, Knightfall is alright for what it is - a tale of Batman vs a bunch of his villains, followed by his defeat at the hands of Bane. Like most crossovers, not the best storytelling - but fun for what it is.

"Tales of the Demon" collects the 70s stories introducing Ra's al Ghul. They're kind of interesting from a historical point of view, but be warned that you'll be reading old stuff, from back when storytelling in comics was much simpler and less engaging. If you like modern, sophisticated storytelling, you won't like this one much.

I like "No Man's Land," but it's a bit polarizing in the fanbase. 5 volumes, following Gotham City as it is abandoned by the Federal Government after an earthquake. A ballsy, gutsy move on the part of the editors - the one crossover that was creatively worthwhile. But just be warned, you won't be getting your normal Batman stories here - this is an extended, post-apocalyptic Batman story.

"Under the Hood" is often derided, but if you accept the conceit (that it tells the story of Jason Todd's return), it's not half bad.

"Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire" is one fewer people have read. Brian Azzarello writes, Lee Bermejo does the art (like in "Joker"). It's a team-up/crossover book, but don't let that stop you. Great art and an interesting story. I didn't know who "Deathblow" was, but I still found it a pretty enjoyable book. Can be hard to find, though.

"Shaman" is not bad, but hard to find. An immediate sequel to Year One, but it doesn't feature any flashy, recognizable villains.

[devilof76]

RIP was awesome. So was The Cult.

These aren't essential, but they're good.

The Chalice
Death & The Maidens
Turning Points
JSA: Liberty Files

[blue_rogue]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, I wasn't expecting so many.

I think I'll go through and see which ones were recommended most often and go from there.

[jayveeeusebio]

Here's my fave Batman stories:

TDK Returns
TDK Strikes Again
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Joker
The Man Who Laugh
Arkham Asylum
Batman: Year One
The Killing Joke

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

Batman Black & White all volumes.
Harley and Ivy

[Mister D]

I was fond of the Cataclysm/No Man's Land storyline.

[Mister D]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, I wasn't expecting so many.

I think I'll go through and see which ones were recommended most often and go from there.

It is incredible how many good Bat-tales there are, especially when you look at how many other characters are hurting for iconic tales.

My suggestion is to start with Year One, Long Halloween and Dark Victory, as they all work well as a single story telling Batman's first 3 years.

[Morbach]

Here's my fave Batman stories:

TDK Returns
TDK Strikes Again
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Joker
The Man Who Laugh
Arkham Asylum
Batman: Year One
The Killing Joke

good list :clap

[Mister D]

One of my favorite bat-tales was "Prey", the second story arc in the Legends series. It had been collected into a TPB, but that's long out of print. There were rumors that it influenced the new film (much as Long Halloween did Dark Knight) but there's no way to confirm that.

[dandy warhol]

prey was great. great artwork too. i think when hugo strange was rumored to be the villain it was assumed "prey" would be a source.

now i get more of a dark knight returns/knightfall/no mans land vibe from what ive seen. :dunno

[Agent23]

I just read TDKR, I thought it was good. I'm gonna have to read it again, because I think it deserves it.

Batman R.I.P. I thought was Ok, at best. It started off pretty good and went down from there. Nothing great.

Just picked up The Long Halloween, that'll be next after I read The Crow, and book one from Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing.

[yautja31337]

finished reading Batman: Noel and it was pretty good, the art was superb.

[batfan08]

^Yup, I intend to make reading that and watching "Christmas with the Joker" my Holiday tradition.

[haytil]

^Yup, I intend to make reading that and watching "Christmas with the Joker" my Holiday tradition.

Why not top it off with "Batman Returns," the Batman Christmastime movie?

[Russell1982]

I just read TDKR, I thought it was good. I'm gonna have to read it again, because I think it deserves it.

Batman R.I.P. I thought was Ok, at best. It started off pretty good and went down from there. Nothing great.

Just picked up The Long Halloween, that'll be next after I read The Crow, and book one from Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing.

The Long Halloween is superb. I actually envy you for being able to read it for the first time. Its quite possibly my favourite Batman book.
Also Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing is brilliant. Really makes the character interesting. I couldn't put it down.

[FDBMath]

I know a lot of people aren't huge fans of RIP, but I actually kind of liked it. But, it also kind of tied in to Morrison's run on JLA, a "all-powerful bad-*** Batman"

Of course, I also would love a Zur-En-Arrh skin for Arkham City, if that tells you anything...

[moleman01]

The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, & Lynn Varley. If not for that graphic novel series, Batman wouldn't be what he is today.

[rhaykal]

I agree with most of the primary suggestions like Dark Knight Returns, Long Halloween, Hush, Killing Joke, Year One etc...

But recently, I'd say the best storyline out was the final run of Detective Comics before the DC relaunch. Scott Snyder's The Black Mirror storyline was amazing (Detective Comics 871-881).
Also, on a slightly different note, Batman: No Man's Land was amazing.....and I'm talking about the novel by Greg Rucka. The graphic novels were ok, but I found the novel to be a great read. And it is a good pick up and read book because it gives a quick brief overview of cataclysm so you really don't need to have much background into the events leading up to No Man's Land.

[haytil]

I've got the Black Mirror on my table, ready to read. Been eagerly waiting the last six months for this baby, and got it as Christmas present. I've heard nothing but good things.

[KingGrayskull]

Guys I need some help. I bought an amazing comic book a few years back on the airport. I was blown away by the story and its graphics. Unfortunatly I forgot to take it with me out of the airplane and it got lost. The most exciting part about this comic book was that Batman and Joker were talking to each other in the off analyzing their relation. It was just their heads and a dark backround. Batman would have always nearly the same expression, Joker would be as crazy as ever. This was so exciting I was reading it twice in the airplane. Unfortunatly I dont remember the name of the story. I am pretty sure it was a reissue, so no specific release date... Any help would be appreciated.

[sfa]

^ Sounds to me like you're describing 'The Killing Joke'. That's exactly how that graphic novel starts out and it has amazing artwork throughout by Brian Bolland.

[solominic_knight]

Under The Red Hood - Personally I like Red Hood :P
The Killing Joke
Hush
Arkham Asylum
Death In The Family
Year One

[Fernandofan08]

For christmas my Girlfriend bought me the first 50 issues of Legends of the dark knight, and my dad bought the second 50 issues (only got 114 issues to get).

Basically, upto yet, the arcs have been absolutly fantastic;

first 5 issues is 'Shamahn', an origin story of how bruce must become the bat. Brill read.
Second 5 issues is gothic, brilliant story, dark and gritty. next 5 issues are Prey, heavily lauded book and hard to get, but the individual issues are 90p each on ebay. Then the next 6 are Venom, which is brilliant.

Basically, Legends of the dark knight are phenomenal. Shaman, gothic, prey, venom, faith, faces, blades, Turf is also quite good (deals with batman/gordon dealing with racist police officers killing and framing black people), images is a good homage to joker and year one, storm, Criminals, Clay which is brilliant, Steps (which is a prostitue murdering criminal, only witness is an Autistic teenager) and one of my favourite stories 'Cold Case'.

[Fernandofan08]

The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, & Lynn Varley. If not for that graphic novel series, Batman wouldn't be what he is today.

i disagree that batman wouldnt be what he is today without it, I hated The Dark Knight Returns. Didnt like the art or the story. Also hated Dark Knight strikes again. just hated the whole story and the art again.

My favourites like I said in my above post, are from the Legends of the dark knight, in which the 1989 film inspired BTAS, which to me, made batman as I grew up with it.

So tim sale, Bruce Timm, paul dini and Jeph Loeb to me made batman; BTAS, the 3 halloween specials (collected in haunted Knight), Long halloween and Dark Victory, along with the stories i put above to me, are batmans pinnicle and defined the character to this very day.

[haytil]

Guys I need some help. I bought an amazing comic book a few years back on the airport. I was blown away by the story and its graphics. Unfortunatly I forgot to take it with me out of the airplane and it got lost. The most exciting part about this comic book was that Batman and Joker were talking to each other in the off analyzing their relation. It was just their heads and a dark backround. Batman would have always nearly the same expression, Joker would be as crazy as ever. This was so exciting I was reading it twice in the airplane. Unfortunatly I dont remember the name of the story. I am pretty sure it was a reissue, so no specific release date... Any help would be appreciated.

Could be "Batman: Secrets" by Sam Kieth. It was a 5-part miniseries, first published about 5 years back, so you could've picked up a single issue in the series or the trade. (And if it was not a US release, it could've been published a year or two beyond that, as I know some single-issue releases in some places - like in Germany - are delayed by a year or so).

Kieth has some crazy artwork, and your description of Batman and Joker talking about their relationship, with just their heads and a dark background, with the same repeated, unmoving expression sounds like several scenes from that book.

Personally, I didn't like it - the artwork is just WAY too ugly for my tastes. But it's a style thing, so maybe that's what you saw (and liked).

[haytil]

For christmas my Girlfriend bought me the first 50 issues of Legends of the dark knight, and my dad bought the second 50 issues (only got 114 issues to get).


Sounds like a lovely gift.


Basically, upto yet, the arcs have been absolutly fantastic;

Yeah, there are some real gems in there, and overall top-notch quality. I think the quality kind of fell over the long term, but if it was a decline, it was a slow one, and there were always good stories, even near the end.

One thing that bothered me was that they didn't stick to the "graphic novel length" story mode for long. The first few arcs are all 5-issues each, which was the original design. Then you get some smaller arcs, 3-4 issues. After a while, 1- and 2-part stories become the norm, and that really detracted from my enjoyment, because I felt the longer arcs were naturally more in-depth and involved.

next 5 issues are Prey, heavily lauded book and hard to get, but the individual issues are 90p each on ebay.

Prey is really stand-out for me. A truly excellent sequel to "Year One," and it tackles several interesting storylines, while making Hugo Strange a cool, relevant, sick villain in the modern era, rather than the mad scientist he originally was (and sadly, has become once again).

I also think it really captures the atmosphere of the Batman era in a great way - the 89 Michael Keaton movies and the comics that were a product of that time and influence. Unlike many other books that might also capture that atmosphere, "Prey" doesn't seem dated now - it's just as vibrant, exciting, and moody, without being too silly, over-the-top, or shallow.

I've also been revisiting a lot of the later LOTDK stories. DC has been reprinting a bunch of the smaller 3-4 part arcs (and anthologizing the standalones) in their "DC Comics Presents" 100-page specials.

I don't know how much collectibility and condition matter to you - but seeing as you're building up a full run of LOTDK, have you considered binding them? You can see my posts in the "Show off your entire Batman collection" thread, but if you don't mind the fact that "condition" is obviously no longer mint or even relevant, then binding big runs like that can be an immensely rewarding experience.

You can place them on your bookshelf (instead of in a box or in an ugly stack), read them like books (instead of pulling them out of bags one-at-a-time or searching through your pile for the right issues), and can maintain and preserve all the great artwork, without the ads! It makes the reading and sharing experience so much more fun. Obviously you can't resell the single issues (since they'll be books now), but like you said, so many are so cheap anyhow - and bound runs can actually sell for quite a lot (since they're so attractive AND so rare). It's also pretty cheap to do.

i disagree that batman wouldnt be what he is today without it, I hated The Dark Knight Returns. Didnt like the art or the story...My favourites like I said in my above post, are from the Legends of the dark knight, in which the 1989 film inspired BTAS, which to me, made batman as I grew up with it.

The thing is, it's pretty much a historical fact that DKR made Batman what he is today. You might not like DKR, and that's fair (I will agree that the art is pretty ugly), but if you look at the history, it's impossible to deny that all those great Batman experiences - the 89 film, the Animated Series, Legends of the Dark Knight - were very specifically a byproduct of the interpretation of Batman that DKR gave us, and the resultant resurgence in popularity that such an interpretation brought with it.

Also hated Dark Knight strikes again. just hated the whole story and the art again.

Pretty much everyone who's read it - including myself - agree with you. DKSA sucks.

Some people claim Miller was being tongue-in-cheek and ironic with DKSA, and that it sucked in a deliberate way, but I think he's just gone off the deep end - because all his modern stuff sucks, for pretty similar reasons.

[Agent23]

The Long Halloween is superb. I actually envy you for being able to read it for the first time. Its quite possibly my favourite Batman book.

Ok, got done reading The Long Halloween, it's probably my favorite Batman story. I read it straight through. It was truly excellent.

Obviously it was a big influence on Nolan's The Dark Knight.

The ending was terrific.

I think next, after I read the Moore Swamp Thing collection, will be Frank Miller's, Batman: Year One.

[Russell1982]

Ok, got done reading The Long Halloween, it's probably my favorite Batman story. I read it straight through. It was truly excellent.

Obviously it was a big influence on Nolan's The Dark Knight.

The ending was terrific.

I think next, after I read the Moore Swamp Thing collection, will be Frank Miller's, Batman: Year One.

Cool, glad you liked it. Its probably my favourite Batman story too. That ending is just fantastic. You should read Dark Victory too, its the sequel to The Long Halloween. Not quite as good but still a great follow up.
I can't recommend Batman Year One high enough. Its absolutely brilliant. I'd even say read it before Swamp Thing, as there are a lot of volumes to that and it means waiting ages till you finish and can read Year One.

I only ever read the first two volumes of Alan Moores Swamp Thing but they were absolutely brilliant. Especially the way Moore changed the charactera.

[Agent23]

I almost picked up Dark Victory today, but will wait till I finish reading Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.

I also saw Haunted Knight by Loeb and Sale, how's that?

[haytil]

I also saw Haunted Knight by Loeb and Sale, how's that?

Most people tend to think it falls far short of Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

It's not an epic like the other two are - it's a collection of 3 one-shot specials that were published as Halloween events, I think. I don't remember it being anything amazing, ground-breaking, or landmark. If you really dig Sale's artwork specifically, it's probably worth a look (since that'll be more of the same), but otherwise I'd say there are far more important and enjoyable Batman graphic novels that are worth your time.

[haytil]

Nice signature, Russell. That's definitely the best one-shot, monthly Joker story that's ever been written.

Dini is the undisputed master of the Batman short story.

[Rex Mason]

Most people tend to think it falls far short of Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

It's not an epic like the other two are - it's a collection of 3 one-shot specials that were published as Halloween events, I think. I don't remember it being anything amazing, ground-breaking, or landmark. If you really dig Sale's artwork specifically, it's probably worth a look (since that'll be more of the same), but otherwise I'd say there are far more important and enjoyable Batman graphic novels that are worth your time.

They're pretty good stories. They were a series of annual Legends of the Dark Knight specials. They were popular enough that DC decided to hire the same team for the Long Halloween mini series.

[Rex Mason]

i disagree that batman wouldnt be what he is today without it, I hated The Dark Knight Returns. Didnt like the art or the story. Also hated Dark Knight strikes again. just hated the whole story and the art again.

My favourites like I said in my above post, are from the Legends of the dark knight, in which the 1989 film inspired BTAS, which to me, made batman as I grew up with it.

So tim sale, Bruce Timm, paul dini and Jeph Loeb to me made batman; BTAS, the 3 halloween specials (collected in haunted Knight), Long halloween and Dark Victory, along with the stories i put above to me, are batmans pinnicle and defined the character to this very day.

Whether or not you agree that the Dark Knight Returns is any good doesn't change the fact that modern Batman would not be modern Batman if not for Frank Miller's interpretation of the character. He brought grit to Gotham, and for better or worse, the city was forever altered, as was the landscape of comic books for that matter. It's an important work, and a very essential and influential piece of comic book history. Along with Maus and Watchmen, it literally changed the way comics were regarded by society as a whole.

[Agent23]

Good post Rex. Well said.

While The Dark Knight Returns isn't one of my faves. I understand and appreciate what it did for the character and for the comic medium as a whole.

[Russell1982]

Nice signature, Russell. That's definitely the best one-shot, monthly Joker story that's ever been written.

Dini is the undisputed master of the Batman short story.

Thanks man. :hi5: yeah, its one of my favourite single issue stories. I've re-read it countless times. That whole run that Dini done on Detective was awesome.

I almost picked up Dark Victory today, but will wait till I finish reading Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.

I also saw Haunted Knight by Loeb and Sale, how's that?

I've not read Haunted Knight but as others have said, its not related to The Long Halloween or Dark Victory. Just a collection of three single issue stories that were lumped together. I do have one of the single issues, I think it was "Madness" with the Mad Hatter. It was pretty good. I have been meaning to get Haunted Knight for a while, but only if i can pick it up really cheap. I think as long as your expectations aren't very high, it may prove to be an enjoyable read. But certainly not as important and things like The Dark Knight Returns, Year One, The Long Halloween, or others.

I would also suggest The Man Who Laughs. Its fairly short but probably my favourite Joker story. A simple little re-telling of the first meeting between Batman and the Joker.

[Fernandofan08]

Sounds like a lovely gift.



Yeah, there are some real gems in there, and overall top-notch quality. I think the quality kind of fell over the long term, but if it was a decline, it was a slow one, and there were always good stories, even near the end.

One thing that bothered me was that they didn't stick to the "graphic novel length" story mode for long. The first few arcs are all 5-issues each, which was the original design. Then you get some smaller arcs, 3-4 issues. After a while, 1- and 2-part stories become the norm, and that really detracted from my enjoyment, because I felt the longer arcs were naturally more in-depth and involved.



Prey is really stand-out for me. A truly excellent sequel to "Year One," and it tackles several interesting storylines, while making Hugo Strange a cool, relevant, sick villain in the modern era, rather than the mad scientist he originally was (and sadly, has become once again).

I also think it really captures the atmosphere of the Batman era in a great way - the 89 Michael Keaton movies and the comics that were a product of that time and influence. Unlike many other books that might also capture that atmosphere, "Prey" doesn't seem dated now - it's just as vibrant, exciting, and moody, without being too silly, over-the-top, or shallow.

I've also been revisiting a lot of the later LOTDK stories. DC has been reprinting a bunch of the smaller 3-4 part arcs (and anthologizing the standalones) in their "DC Comics Presents" 100-page specials.

I don't know how much collectibility and condition matter to you - but seeing as you're building up a full run of LOTDK, have you considered binding them? You can see my posts in the "Show off your entire Batman collection" thread, but if you don't mind the fact that "condition" is obviously no longer mint or even relevant, then binding big runs like that can be an immensely rewarding experience.

You can place them on your bookshelf (instead of in a box or in an ugly stack), read them like books (instead of pulling them out of bags one-at-a-time or searching through your pile for the right issues), and can maintain and preserve all the great artwork, without the ads! It makes the reading and sharing experience so much more fun. Obviously you can't resell the single issues (since they'll be books now), but like you said, so many are so cheap anyhow - and bound runs can actually sell for quite a lot (since they're so attractive AND so rare). It's also pretty cheap to do.



The thing is, it's pretty much a historical fact that DKR made Batman what he is today. You might not like DKR, and that's fair (I will agree that the art is pretty ugly), but if you look at the history, it's impossible to deny that all those great Batman experiences - the 89 film, the Animated Series, Legends of the Dark Knight - were very specifically a byproduct of the interpretation of Batman that DKR gave us, and the resultant resurgence in popularity that such an interpretation brought with it.



Pretty much everyone who's read it - including myself - agree with you. DKSA sucks.

Some people claim Miller was being tongue-in-cheek and ironic with DKSA, and that it sucked in a deliberate way, but I think he's just gone off the deep end - because all his modern stuff sucks, for pretty similar reasons.

Awsome present, and prey is absolutly brilliant. I recently bought Cold Case, issues 202-204 I think, with Thomas wayne being framed for some murders, which were clearly committed by someone with surgical knowledge. Loved that one. Same as with the bumper comic for issue 200, The issue where batman brings joker into the hospital, and he has rigged bombs around the city. half told from batmans perspective, half told from a junior doctors perspective.

And I do understand it brought a darker version of gotham (TDKR) to an extent and inspired Tim burtons batman, but to me, Tim burtons batman inspired Dini and Timm, who created BTAS, which to me, BTAS moulded batman into alot of what he is today. Comic-wise, Sale and Loeb's haunted knight collection also took on the burton-esque style, the halloween issues for LOTDK, inspired Long halloween and Dark victory.

I do regard TDKR as a half evolution of batman, but the pinnacle was 1989, which coincides with Burtons film and the first ever fully fledged relaunch of Batman lore with Legends of the dark knight, it led to these events, but you can clearly see that the ideas for batman himself, weren't like TDKR.

[Fernandofan08]

Most people tend to think it falls far short of Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

It's not an epic like the other two are - it's a collection of 3 one-shot specials that were published as Halloween events, I think. I don't remember it being anything amazing, ground-breaking, or landmark. If you really dig Sale's artwork specifically, it's probably worth a look (since that'll be more of the same), but otherwise I'd say there are far more important and enjoyable Batman graphic novels that are worth your time.

The long halloween to me personifies batman in the comics.

I say that, because it has 13 issues, which continually carry the story on, but it displays the different aspects of batman. It displays his true detective skills, which is what I love about batman. I love the interpretations which truly put light on him being a detective, not a fisticuff vigilante. I love the human side that is shown. Even though he fights Solomon Grundy, he brings him a Thanksgiving dinner. that to me personifies batman, a detective that has human nature, an understanding that some of the villians are also victims of themselves and society.

Haunted knight collection is quite good, i dont mind the odd one shot stories, theyre well presented, well drawn and have a good story. Could've been nice as bumper issues, but as a collection you cant really grumble at them

[Ranger]

From the looks of things, it seems like every written Batman is a must read. So i guess here is a better question... Name some reads to avoid?

[bloodgear]

Alot of the 50s/60s stuff. Zebra Batman, Bat-Baby, Alien Batman, The Batman Creature. Wacky stuff.


I just recently read Kingdom Come. While it's more of a Supe's story, Batman is awesome in it.

[Laney74]

Good post Rex. Well said.

While The Dark Knight Returns isn't one of my faves. I understand and appreciate what it did for the character and for the comic medium as a whole.

Burton always said DKR and Killing Joke were the main inspiration for Batman 89, which turned the way the world viewed the character. A death in the Family also played a huge part in giving Batman the harder edge necessary to tell grittier stories.

I also think a lot of the elseworlds batman stories have been awesome.